


75 Days

by clericbyers (starkreactor)



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Bisexual Mike Wheeler, Gay Will Byers, Gen, M/M, Mike Wheeler Loves Will Byers, Season 3 Spoilers, Will Byers Loves Mike Wheeler, previous mentions of mileven
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2020-07-10 16:03:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19908427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starkreactor/pseuds/clericbyers
Summary: There are 75 days left before the Byers family and El Hopper move out of Hawkins, Indiana.





	1. Confession

**Author's Note:**

> i was hanging out on tumblr and came across this [cute post](https://himbosteve.tumblr.com/post/186453702937/on-god-byeler-forehead-kisses-byeler) that i just had to write something for. soft byeler ftw ;;

There are many sentimental phrases in the English vernacular, from “love makes you crazy” to “the pen is mightier than the sword”. One phrase in particular strikes Will in the chest with every sweet summer breath that boils in his lungs. _You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone._ Will hasn’t even gotten what he wants, what he now realizes he desires so desperately, and it’s already slipping through his fingers with the ease of spring rain. It pours down his back with ugly chills that shock his wandering mind into reality.

“We’re moving out.”

Moving means no more Hawkins, no more Upside Down, no more Mind Flayer. It also means no more Max, no more Lucas or Dustin. No more Mike. It burns to know that Mike is a separate category, to split him from the others because in Will’s mind, that lanky skinny boy with dark curls and soft freckles is someone entirely different for Will. Maybe one day Mike will rejoin the best friend category rather than overlapping with _crush—_ which makes Will choke inwardly—or something more that Will refuses to accept but knows is true (love, love, love, he’s _so in love_ ) but for now, as moving away sinks its teeth into every aspect of Will’s relationships, he can’t act like the degree to which he’ll miss Mike is equal to the others.

“Byers! You still with us?”

Will turns at the familiar voice and cocks a smile, leaning back on the palm of his hands as he lazes in the grass. Mike plops down beside him with a low grunt and splays his long pale legs out messily. Will belatedly wonders if the other boy will get sunburn leaving his legs so unexposed. He does take note that Mike’s nonchalant attitude has finally returned in a more peaceful way than before. Mike isn’t treating Will like an outsider, being gruff and snarky and plain rude with little stipulation. He’s always been softer with Will, still prickly at times and slinging attitude when need be but gentle and kind in a way that makes Will’s heart constrict. Familiar brown eyes crinkle at the corners as he turns to face Will with a warm question on his thick pink lips.

Will is so in love and he’s _leaving_.

“You alright? The others noticed you didn’t come down the hill with us.” starts Mike with a low hum of interest. “I told them to go ahead so if you need to, you know, talk you can do so with me.

Will smiles affectionately. “I’m fine, seriously.”

Mike raises an eyebrow and leans back on his own hands, his left one startlingly close to Will’s right one. If Will were a little braver, he would inch his hand closer and let their pinkies touch. Just the thought of it makes his cheeks flush and he’s thankful for the summer sun’s heat to misconstrue any blushing for simple heat flush. They bask idly under yellow-orange rays and Will’s thoughts hop aboard the fantasy train. The train makes its way through memories and merges them with desires, tainting movie nights with a hope for warm kisses between happy giggles and softly cupped faces. He wants and wants and wants and it only gets more intense knowing he will lose this which he doesn’t have once he moves.

Mike breaks the comfortable silence. “Can I tell you a secret?”

“Of course.”

Will turns to face the other boy and watches him fidget in his seat. He runs hands through his curling hair—a nervous tick—and bites his bottom lip until the indentation is white from blood loss. When he speaks, his voice is hoarse. “I’ve been thinking.”

Will can’t help himself. “That’s a first.”

It turns out to be a good comment to make as Mike scoffs and shoots Will a playful glare. Any tension that was previously rising melts away under the tender rays of Mike’s affectionate attention. Will is struck with the thought that he’ll miss this closeness. He shoves the thought aside and motions for Mike to continue.

The dark haired boy coughs into his fist. “Ah, well. You know that El and I are…well, we aren’t together.”

“Mm, yes, I know.”

“Yeah.” Mike shifts a little closer and Will can’t figure out why. “And the move only solidifies that. I mean, long distance relationships are a thing but calling is so expensive and I think my dad will get upset if I spike the phone bill.”

“I’m sure Dustin would let you use his radio.”

Mike chuckles. “If he’s not busy talking to Suzie on it, sure.” His tone quickly sombers. “But that’s not all of it. We talked, me and El, and I—she made see some things. Things I didn’t want to see.”

“Like what?”

“Well, not _physically_ seeing something but more, accepting something.” Mike laughs but it’s dry and makes Will worried. “I, uh, I think I like someone else.”

Will raises his eyebrows. He can’t imagine who else Mike can have feelings for given how single-mindedly in love with El he is. Was. Will isn’t sure which tense to use or which tense he prefers. “Are you going pursue her since El is moving away?”

“I don’t know. I don’t—wait, you said she.”

“Yeah.”

“I—oh. It’s not…I mean, I think I like a _boy_.”

The word is whispered like a curse word, like a disgusting snarl filled with forbidden intention. Will doesn’t know what to think. He feels like he should say something, tell Mike that Will likes boys too, but he still remembers Mike’s words and his thrust tightens up. Mike apologized—profusely and desperately Will recalls vividly—but Will can still hear _it’s not my fault you don’t like girls_ ringing in his head. And here Mike is, not liking a girl himself.

Ironic.

“That’s fine.” Will can’t make eye contact so he stares at how close their hands are in the green grass beneath them. “It’s okay. It’s okay to like boys, too.”

Mike shakes his head. “It’s not—I mean, I can’t—I shouldn’t. I’m not _gay_.”

Will tenses. “Of course not. You dated El. You liked her.” _You loved her._

“But I think I like this boy more. More than anyone. More than her.”

Will’s never been more jealous of someone in his life until now. “It’s still okay, Mike.”

Mike continues on as if he didn’t hear Will’s comforting words. “I lied to El, I lazed around and complained about her, I tried so hard to go through what I always see Lucas do with Max, you know. And then— _Will_ ,” his voice is wavering with emotions Will cannot decipher. “Will, I hurt you. And hurting you hurt me. It’s—it’s different. _We’re_ different. You make me go crazy, Will, it’s so—I ran out in the rain yelling and searching for you. I needed you because you and me? Crazy together, right?” Mike’s hand crosses the gap between them and Will jumps.

“Michael?” he squeaks, quickly swiveling his head to lock eyes with Mike. He looks down at their hands, the way Mike’s larger one lays over his own, the way his thumb gently brushes over the back of Will’s hand. “Mike, what are you—what do you mean? What are you trying to say? _Mike_.”

Mike sits in silence still, eyes darting to their hands. Will wants to pull away but he feels pinned down by the simple weight of Mike’s hand. “I—Will. El helped me realize I like _you_.”

“But I’m leaving!”

“You think I don’t know that?” Mike starts to get snippy but it’s not anger driving him. It’s pure sorrow, anguish, despair. “You think I‘m not reminded every day how the two people I care most about are leaving me? How I wish I realized this sooner so you and me could—,”

Will leans in closer. “We could what?”

Mike’s grip tightens just enough before he slips his fingers between Will’s own and lifts their twined hands up between them. Will can’t look away from the sight, from this touch that is laced with an emotion he never thought he would get from Mike. His eyes flicker to Mike’s lips, an unconscious but noted action, before staring up into chocolate brown eyes. Those eyes are still staring at their hands almost entranced at the fact they can touch like this.

Will wonders if he should ask his question again, wanting to hear Mike confirm what this all means, but the words are snatched from his throat the moment Mike pulls his hand closer and presses warm lips to the back of Will’s hand. Will’s face goes _scarlet._ He can barely breathe, mind reeling as he tries to accept Mike _kissing his hand_. Then Mike looks up, brown eyes hooded over with long thick black lashes framing his loving gaze. His freckled cheeks are oh so pink and Will feels like he’s falling in love all over again.

“Mike,” he wheezes out. “Mike. I—,” His throat tightens up until his words are an ugly groan.

“I know.” Mike mumbles against Will’s warm skin. “You don’t have to say it. I know.”

“I _want_ to say it. I want you to hear it.”

Mike smiles and kisses Will’s hand again. He kisses each knuckle, eyes still locked with Will’s own with every graze of his lips. His hands are shaking when he pulls away, but he keeps a tight hold on Will’s hand. “You can say it when you’re ready. We have time.”

Will shakes his head. “I have two and a half months Mike.”

“About 75 days to tell me you like me back in person. I think that’s enough.”

“Or 75 seconds.” Will pulls their hands closer to him and presses a soft kiss to the back of Mike’s hand. His skin is soft yet rough, a welcome presence against Will’s mouth. They smile at each other for a while, lost in each other’s eyes (Mike’s have flecks of gold and brown softened with ardor and relief) and Will kisses his hand again. “I like you, Mike Wheeler.”

Mike is blushing but he grins widely. “Yeah? Yeah, I like you, too.”

“Wheeler! Byers!” comes a shout from further down the hill. Will pulls his mouth away and they turn to face Dustin, who eyes their twined hands with a curious glance. “Is everything okay? Max and Lucas want to go check on El and we’re all waiting for you.”

“It’s fine,” Mike waves a passing hand and helps Will up onto his feet. “We were just talking about long distance calling. I’m gonna have to beg my mom for more allowance money to keep in contact.”

Dustin laughs and falls in step beside Mike. No one mentions how Mike and Will are still holding hands as they walk down the hill toward the street. Dustin splits with Lucas and Max while Will goes with Mike to the Wheeler’s. They walk in silence with hands brushing every few steps and shy smiles on their lips. It’s simple reassurance that they are near each other, that while time is limited, they have this connection they can indulge in before the clock ticks to zero.

“75 days,” Mike points out once they reach the front steps. Will wants to hold his hand but he’s nervous and worried about Mike’s parents. “We have 75 days.”

“To do what?”

“Whatever we want as _us_. Being, you know….”

Will leans in closer to whisper, “Boyfriends?”

Mike goes pink but nods. “Yeah. That.”

“But we will still be _us_ when I leave, right?” Will doesn’t think he could handle breaking things off after finally having Mike as his. They can make the distance work, they will _always_ work.

The brunette smirks and nudges Will’s shoulder. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

“75 days and then I can, Wheeler.”

Mike laughs, Will smiles, and for a moment, Will can forget he’s about leave this wonderful boy behind.


	2. Countdown

_**70 days** _

Mike slouches on the couch next to Will. His thigh is pressed up against Will’s own, nothing new but it feels different knowing that it’s Will’s _boyfriend_ pressing up so close. The Party doesn’t know about them yet and today is the day Mike and Will plan to share the news, but they are all lazing about in the Wheeler basement avoiding the hot summer sun and Will doesn’t want to disturb that. 

El is braiding Max’s hair across the way, humming gently under her breath with her motions. Max is arguing about something with Lucas and Dustin and the sound of their bickering is a soothing noise in the background of his thoughts. Will turns to watch Mike, who happens to be looking at him, and they both blush once eye contact is made. Mike grins, nudging Will, and then leans in just a bit closer. They’ve always been comfortable with physical closeness but adding this romantic level of affection to every glance, touch, and word brings a different caution to their dynamics.

“Are you two done flirting or are you going to answer Lucas’ question?” Max barks and breaks the staring contest the two boys are unintentionally having.

“Flirting?” retorts Mike with a sharpness in his voice. He and Max are closer but there’s still an edge to their relationship that they each keep trying to prick each other with. “We aren’t _flirting_.”

Lucas smirks. “Y’all were flirting. It’s okay, no one is mad.”

Will fumbles with a reply and yelps when Mike grabs his hand and lays his head on Will’s shoulder. “Mike!”

“What? He said no one is mad.”

Will’s eyes dart to El whether he intended to look at her or not. She’s watching their hands before quickly catching Will’s eyes. She smiles with nothing but calm in her eyes and it seems like her approval is all Will needs to lean further into Mike and gently place his head on Mike’s own. Max makes exaggerated gagging sounds to the others’ amusement but Will blushes a little more and tries to hide his face in Mike’s bushy curls. Mike pulls their hands in to kiss Will’s knuckles.

“Hey, hey, don’t start making out now,” starts Dustin as he giggles. “At least Lucas and Max give us a false pretense of getting water to go make out upstairs.”

“I said I gotta quench my thirst, I never said which one.”

Will snorts when he hears Max smack Lucas’ arm for his comment. Mike stirs under Will’s head. “You don’t have to worry about that,” he murmurs softly, “we don’t—well, it’s not something we do.”

“Mike Wheeler? Not sticking his tongue down his partner’s throat? Who is this dude?”

Mike flips Max off to Dustin’s amusement. Will turns from Mike’s hair to watch his friends and smiles at how easily accepting they are. He is truly lucky to have friends like these, friends who aren’t bothered by him having a _boyfriend_.

“You and Will don’t kiss?” El speaks up with curiosity in her voice. “We would kiss. Kiss a lot.”

“Uh, yeah.” Mike squirms away from Will who stiffens as he realizes they haven’t kissed. There’s something about kissing Mike that spikes his anxiety and he doesn’t know if it’s because he isn’t ready to lock lips or because Mike hasn’t made a move to do so yet. “It doesn’t matter though.”

Will shifts in his seat and glances at Mike when the other boy starts to rub his thumb against Will’s hand. He’s anxious thanks to the topic at hand so Will attempts to move the conversation along. When the party leaves only Mike and Will downstairs, Will wonders if he should bring up kissing but he finds himself too nervous to do so.

“You wanna sleep over?” Mike mumbles during a heavy yawn. He’s got one arm around Will’s shoulder as Will tucks his head in against his shoulder. “I‘ll walk with you over to your place if you want.”

Will smiles but shakes his head. “I’ll stay tonight. You’re too comfortable and I don’t wanna move.”

Mike doesn’t reply so Will shifts himself to look up into his boyfriend’s eyes. He feels his breath catch in his throat being the object of Mike’s attention, seeing the pure love and adoration in his unwavering gaze. He can hardly believe Mike cares about him _this_ much. Will wonders if he’s supposed to kiss Mike now, lean up and close the gap between them. The thought paralyzes him—something about kissing Mike sets his nerves aflame in both good and uncomfortable ways. He wants it, yearns for it, but it’s an overwhelming thought. It’s crossing an unspoken line; they’ve been so careful with each other for years that being romantic enough to _kiss_ is frightening. 

“Mike,” he whispers carefully. His voice doesn’t shake but he’s sure nervousness seeps through.

Mike blinks out of his gaze and leans in to kiss Will’s nose. “You’re adorable.”

“ _Mike_!”

“Just telling the truth.” The dark haired boy shimmies from Will and grabs a left over blanket El had cuddled under earlier. He tosses it over Will, who claws his way out the blanket only to come face to face with a grinning Mike. They’re nose to nose and Will can’t help but smile too as he counts Mike’s freckles. “I love you.”

Will counts ten freckles before the words register in his mind. He leans forward to wrap his arms around Mike’s neck and hides his tears in the collar of his shirt. “I love you, too,” he replies so easily, like the words are air on his tongue and loving Mike is the epitome of his existence.

Mike holds him and they shift together until they lie on the couch with tangled legs and Will’s head on his chest. Sleep comes easy that night wrapped up in blankets and Mike’s arms.

_**62 days** _

“Trying to get a tan, Byers?”

Will looks up and smirks at his boyfriend as the wet boy takes a seat on the blue towel laid out beside him. He reaches out to brush floppy soaked bangs from Mike’s forehead and grins when Mike turns pinker from the attention.

“I’m trying to get summer freckles like you.”

Mike raises his eyebrows and Will takes a finger to his face to trace the lines between freckles like constellations. Mike wrinkles his nose but laughs before leaning in to press a kiss to Will’s palm. “You wanna go swimming? I’ll watch our gear.”

Will shakes his head. The quarry lake water is warmer during the summer but the initial chill still sends uncomfortable shivers down his spine. He doesn’t want to make any of his friends concerned so he doesn’t dish the details but he knows Mike understands in some fashion given he doesn’t pester. Will watches Mike lay down and starfish himself on the towel, eyes closed as he looks up toward the blue sky above them. Will wants to kiss water droplets from the tip of Mike’s nose and the curve of his cheeks. He lets his eyes travel down Mike’s throat and chest, taking in the pink flush from exertion and sunlight. Mike is far too handsome and equally as dorky with his long gangly limbs and curly shoulder length hair and obsession with rereading _Lord of the Rings_ and _Uncanny X-Men_ and _Justice League_ comics.

“Take a picture; it‘ll last longer.”

Will positions his index fingers and thumbs on both hands to form a finger frame, closing one eye as he frames his hands around Mike’s face. “Strike a pose, Wheeler.”

Mike looks over and sticks out his tongue just in time for Will to make the shutter clicking noise with his mouth. The other boy laughs loudly, sitting up to lean over the towel and press his lips to Will’s cheek. “I love you.”

Will pulls back to rub his nose against Mike’s. “I love you, too, you sentimental nerd.” Mike grins and pulls away to look back at the lake. “You can go swimming again, I don’t mind being here.”

“I know. But I like hanging out with you.” The taller boy shrugs and leans his head back to look up. “Won’t get to do so much longer in a couple months anyway.”

Will stiffens. “You’re counting down the days?”

“Not really. It’s just hard to forget sometimes.” Mike turns back to the lake with a frown. “I try not to think about it but in two months I won’t be able to hold your hand whenever it’s just us or when I want or curl up against you when the night terrors get bad, you know?”

Will reaches out his hand to take Mike’s. He presses it to his cheek and leans into the gentle hold. “I know.”

“Hey lovebirds!” Will quickly pulls away to face Dustin yelling to them. “We’re gonna chicken fight, wanna join?”

Mike jumps to his feet enthusiastically. “I’m so in!” He leans down to give Will a kiss to the top of his head. “See you in a few, alright? Cheer for me!”

“I’m your biggest cheerleader, Wheeler!” Will calls after him, giggling when Mike blows him a kiss and jumps into the water after the others.

**_48 days_ **

El and Will have started to hang out more to get to know each other since they never really had the chance before. Mike is over the moon that the two people he loves most of all are getting along and being friends themselves. It probably helps that Will isn’t filled with jealousy and Mike isn’t monopolizing El’s time. For the most part, everyone has been spending time with each other in fair portions since the mall battle though of course Mike and Will spend their nights side by side as many times as possible.

Whenever Mike comes over to stay with the Byers, Will and El hang out with him in the living room before Mike makes it over to Will’s room. Tonight, Mike spends most of the time in silence holding Will to his chest as _Star Wars_ plays on the tv before them. Will isn’t too concerned about Mike’s silence—sometimes they all fall into moments where speech alludes them and thoughts are too overwhelming to voice. He merely squirms in closer to the lanky boy and rubs at the arms that wrap around his waist.

Will has just finished explaining Sith lords and the Empire to El when he feels Mike’s breath on his neck. His back stiffens, eyes glazing over once he feels slightly chapped lips press against the skin of his neck. He feels three more kisses—barely there presses of lips on skin—before Mike turns to bury his face in the crook of Will’s neck.

“Are you okay?” Will asks lightly, shifting enough to make it known that his attention is on Mike at the moment.

Han Solo yells in the background for a few minutes before Mike speaks up. “I’m good. Just thinking about you.”

“Good thoughts I hope.”

Will can feel the smile and it makes him grin as well. “Only the best, buttercup.”

The pet name makes Will turn all the way to face Mike head on. “Buttercup? Really?”

“Mmhmm. Buttercup, sugar plum, light of my life, apple of my eye,” Mike starts to rock Will in his arms and Will rolls his eyes but chuckles softly.

“You are giant sap, Michael.”

“Yeah, but you love me.”

“I do.”

Mike pulls Will in closer and squeezes him before pulling away to go to the bathroom. Will watches him go down the hall and doesn’t even quite realize he’s still watching until El coughs into her fist and brings his attention back. A flush takes over Will’s cheeks and he curls in on himself a little shyly. He and Mike rarely get sappy in front of El, but Mike apparently feels comfortable and loving enough to indulge himself even with his ex sitting in a chair five feet away.

“You make him happy,” El says with a tone as if tasting each word on her tongue before letting it leave her mouth. “I like when Mike is happy.”

Will doesn’t know what to say. “I, uh, you make him happy, too. We all do I think.”

El smiles warmly. “We do. But you make him extra happy.”

“How so?”

Her brow furrows and she pulls her feet up onto the chair. She places her chin on her knees and cocks her head to the side as she also looks down the hall where Mike disappeared. “When we were boyfriend and girlfriend, he was happy. But, it was different. He is calm with you. Gentle. He is a friend first and boyfriend second.” Will raises his eyebrows. “When I see him, his eyes are light. His mind is light.”

“El,” Will starts, feeling choked up a little about the impact he’s had on Mike. He’s always conscious of how Mike makes him feel. He can never forgot how the world seems to feel a little better every day Mike turns to him and smiles. It’s heartwarming to know he has a similar effect on Mike.

“I’m back,” sings Mike as he waltzes his way back to the couch. Will pulls Mike into his chest this time around and Mike yelps with surprise. He looks over at El with creased brows but burrows further into Will’s arms. “Everything alright you two?”

Will kisses the top of Mike’s head. “Peachy, sweetheart.”

_**33 days** _

Will is sitting on the ledge of Mike’s window with a comic one hand and Mike’s hand in the other. It’s probably very dangerous for them to be touching so much right in the window but he can’t find much reason to care now. The likelihood that someone will spot them is very low, most likely only Lucas anyway since he lives so close to the Wheelers. All he would do is toss rocks up at them until Mike flips him off, closes the window, and runs outside to playfully argue.

Will knows because that has happened before.

Tonight though marks the start of the last month before the move, so the atmosphere is a little more tense. Will isn’t trying to be tense, but there’s something about knowing he’s going to wake up and be unable to bike up the street into Mike’s arms in a month that makes him nervous. Mike has been chatty up until they decided to call it a night. He seems to be in some sort of funk even now, resting his chin on his unoccupied hand as he stares out into the starry night sky.

Will wishes he could say something to comfort Mike, but there’s little he can do to change things. He can only promise to visit but he can’t promise when. His mom will get good money for the house but moving is expensive and their family isn’t the wealthiest out there. Perhaps Mike could come visit with Nancy when she stops by to see Jonathan. That puts a dry smile on Will’s face.

“Do you ever think about fate?”

The brunette turns to look down at his boyfriend. “Fate? If it exists, I don’t think highly of it.”

Mike snorts. “Understandable.” His somber mood returns quite quickly. “I’m just wondering if fate will make sure we’ll meet again.”

“I don’t wanna leave something this important up to fate,” whispers Will as he places the _Fantastic 4_ comic down. “I wanna leave it up to us. To our commitment. Something in our control.”

Will wonders if this want to have control comes out of losing control of his mind and body when the Mind Flayer took him over and made him do terrible things. He still remembers Mike’s tears, one of the few memories he has from possession, and he only hopes to never make his dearest friend cry like that again. Fate was cruel enough to pull him into the Upside Down where demogorgons and the Mind Flayer live. Fate will have no hand in what makes Will happy. He’ll do that himself

“There’s so much out of our control though.” Mike groans and pulls away from the window, still keeping Will’s hand in his own. “You’re leaving the state, I can’t drive yet, I don’t have the money to even visit because I’ll barely have enough to call you. I’ll send letters but those take so _long_.”

“We’ll make it work.” Will states firmly. He hopes his confidence soothes Mike’s worries. “We waited too long for this, suffered through so much to be together, Mike. We’re gonna make us _stick_.”

Mike pulls Will from the window and the shorter boy follows after closing it and pulling the blinds shut. He wraps his lanky arms around Will’s waist and tucks the other boy’s head in under his chin. “We’ll make it work.” He brings one of Will’s hands up to his lips and kisses the tips of his fingers with soft huffs of breath. “I don’t want this month to end.”

Will turns in Mike’s arms to face him head-on with a small smile. “Neither do I.”

Mike’s eyes flicker down toward Will’s lips and for a moment, Will’s tempted to lean up and close the gap between them once and for all but his mind is still buzzing from their conversation. His throat starts closing up with the realization that if he kisses Mike then he’ll know what he’s gonna be missing, know more what he has to leave behind. Mike merely tucks Will in closer and kisses his forehead with a deep sigh, ending any fret Will had about in his head.

**_21 days_ **

“Will,” whines Mike from his perch on the brunette’s half-messy bed. Will remains seated at his desk reading _The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy_ with a smirk as he ignores his boyfriend’s protests.

Mike has spent most of his time after school complaining to Will about how far Illinois is and wondering what’s so good about moving to Berkeley. _It doesn’t have me first of all_ is his initial comparison and it makes Will giggle into his book even though he’s trying to act like he’s ignoring Mike’s protests. The protesting Mike’s way of coping with the changes occuring in three weeks. Mike doesn’t cry often but he’s prone to emotional outbursts that range from yelling matches to hour long rants where he sounds as calm as he could ever be yet equally tense about the topic in hand.

Mike calls him again and this time Will turns to give him a look. The dark haired boy merely sends an innocent smile before hopping off the bed to join Will at his desk. He places his chin on Will’s shoulder and hovers. “Whatcha readin’?”

“Hitchhiker’s Guide.”

“Oh, I bet you love Arthur.”

Will perks. “You’ve read it before?”

“Yeah, Nancy had a copy for some reason so I kinda stole it and read it on my own last year.” Mike presses his lips to Will’s temple and then pulls away to stretch his limbs. “You should check out _Ender’s Game_! That book changed my life.”

“I’ll add it to my list. I’ll call you so we can talk about it when I finish.”

Mike’s face scrunches and he plops back onto Will’s bed with a loud exaggeratory groan. “I wanna see your face when you read the end.”

Will twists in his chair to face the other boy. “Do you know if the library has a copy? I can put _Hitchhiker’s_ to the side to read it.”

“We can go check right now! The library doesn’t close for probably another two hours or so.”

Will would have protested more but Mike is too excited about visiting the library and he doesn’t want to damper his mood. Besides, Will likes the library too, and spending some time there in the familiar rows filled with knowledge and information galore is just his type of thing.

They bike over after telling Will’s mom they’ll be out for a few but back by dinner. Mike practically tosses his bike down to rush inside and make his way to the science fiction section near the back. Will follows right behind him at a slightly slower pace to let his eyes roam over book spines and catch on something that might grab his attention. The comic section is limited and doesn’t have anything too interesting but there‘s an astronomy book that makes Will think about _Cosmos_ and he wonders if Mike would be interested in watching a few episodes with him if he can record it for them.

“Here we are,” whispers Mike with a paperback copy in his hands. He passes the book along with a satisfied smile. “It’s not too long and trust me, once you start reading, you’ll never want to stop.”

Will nods sheepishly. “Thank you, Mike.”

“No need to thank me.” The taller boy shrugs and looks back at the books stacked before him. “Sometimes Dustin and I come here after school to check out if the Hugo Award books are on the shelf. It’s crazy how much into scifi that nerd is. Don’t even get me started on the fantasy section. Have you read _The Summer Tree_?”

Will shakes his head and lets Mike drag him down the rows until the reach the aforementioned fantasy genre section. He stands back and watches Mike scan the books, mumbling letters under his breath as his eyes dart across the colorful book spines. He brushes his long hair from his face with a huff and leans on his toes to scan the top shelf, which is endearing since Mike rarely has to get on his toes to reach anything given how tall he’s gotten. It strikes Will uncomfortably in the chest how they won’t be able to spend hours in the Wheeler basement mooning over new comic issues or the coolest take on science fiction a new author has brought into the world. How Will won’t sit by Mike in the cafeteria watching him plan out a new campaign even though Will shouldn’t know the details but Mike wants to know what his cleric priest is capable of doing so it’s not too hard a campaign to finish.

“I’m gonna miss you,” spills from Will’s lips before he can stop himself and it makes Mike pause in his search.

The lanky boy frowns but then smiles though it’s a grave smile. “Yeah, I’ll miss you, too.” He leans against the shelf with _The Summer Tree_ in hand and crosses his arms. “Berkeley, Illinois has its own library I’m sure. You gotta tell me if they have books there that we don’t have here in Hawkins’ library.”

“But if they don’t have them here then you won’t get to read them.”

“I’ll get my mom to buy it for me; she’s been nagging me about reading novels more instead of rereading comic books and playing video games.” Mike rolls his eyes and pushes off the shelf with a grin. “If not her then Nancy is sure to help. She gets all sentimental about romance and if I can make up some sappy story about how I wanna keep reading a book with El or something, she’ll cave in.”

“El,” Will looks down at his feet but looks up when Mike’s long fingers dance under his chin and pull him up to face level. “Mike?”

“Do you want to tell her about us? My sister and your brother, I guess.” His grip on Will’s chin loosens into a gentle caress against his cheek. “I don’t know how she’ll react but she’s been a nice sister recently so there’s hope.”

Will tilts his head so he can kiss the heel of Mike’s palm. He can feel his eyes crinkle at the edges with soft laughter when Mike’s cheeks turn pink from the warm kiss. “If you want to tell them, I’m okay with that.”

Mike pulls Will into a hug and he’s grateful that they’re in the library toward the back in a section barely anyone in Hawkins traverses where no one can see them holding each other so desperately as they are now.

When they get back to the Byers house, there are boxes in the living room and Will feels the tears prickling in his eyes as Mike lets out a watery _oh_. Jonathan turns the corner into the room and sends the boys a warm greeting but that melts into concern once he registers the shock drawn on the two boys’ faces. Will turns to his brother, looks at Mike, and then grabs the latter’s hand to twine their fingers together. Mike blinks himself out of his thoughts and smiles down at Will before turning to Jonathan somewhat sheepishly. Jonathan nods once but his lips are shaking like he can’t stop them from curling up into a smile, so Will takes a few steps forward and shoves himself into his brother’s arms. Mike comes with and Joyce enters the room from her bedroom with a box in hand that she nearly drops seeing her sons and Mike in a tight-knit hug that warms her heart like nothing else.

**_17 days_ **

“Nancy!” Mike yells from the front door where he stands with Will as they ready themselves to go outside. Will fixes the collar of the boy’s button up and pats down the sleeves. “Will is here so I’m leaving the house for a few hours! Don’t miss me!”

“Michael!” Will admonishes but he’s giggling under his breath as Nancy storms her way downstairs.

“You don’t have to yell, Mike,” she points out irritatedly but her lips are smiling as she watches the two stand side-by-side. “I’ll tell Mom and Dad you’re out if they come back before you do.”

“Thanks; you’re the best older sister I’ve ever had.”

“I’m your _only_ older sister.” She chuckles to herself and motions to how they’re dressed. “What’s with the attire? You don’t usually get this fancy.”

“This isn’t _fancy_ ,” pouts Mike, “I just wanted to look nice for my date.”

That piques Nancy’s curiosity. She looks over at Will, who is also dressed nice enough with his recently trimmed hair pushed back. “You two got double dates? Who’s the lucky girl for you, Will?”

Will laughs and turns to his boyfriend with a mischievous smile. “Mike.”

“Hey! I’m not a girl!”

“Mike? As in the one standing next to you?” Nancy blinks repeatedly as her eyes dart between the two, who start to get nervous under her questioning gaze. The young woman sighs and crosses her arms petulantly. “Well, I can’t give you the ‘don’t hurt my brother’s heart’ speech—”

“Don’t do that, Nance; I won’t hesitate to put frogs in your pillowcase.” 

“—because you moving away is gonna hurt like hell, but—,” and here Will starts laughing as Nancy seems to register Mike’s threat, “Michael Wheeler, if you dare destroy another one of my pillows, you will never get permission from me to drive your skinny ass up to Illinois to see your boyfriend.”

Mike’s eyes seem to bug out of his head. “Wait, you’ll drive me up to see Will?”

Nancy’s anger dissipates and she seems a little shy if not just begrudgingly sweet. “I’m gonna go up to see Jonathan when I can so, yeah, if you wanna come with me to see Will and El, it’s an open invitation.”

Mike moves in a blur so fast Will has barely finished blinking by the time the other boy has his arms wrapped around his sister in a tight hug. Nancy seems unsure of what to do and just pats Mike’s back while giving Will a weird look. Mike says no more and waves his sister off with a reminder to let their parents know he’s out before taking Will by the sleeve and pulling him out the door toward their bikes.

“Shakes first, arcade second?” he says once he’s seated and making his way out the driveway.

Will nods and quickly follows Mike’s lead. This day is a little chiller than previous days given fall is starting to make its mark in Hawkins. The two already have been seeing each other less and less given school started up and Mike is working out the intricacies of high school. Will has been busy with packing what he doesn’t immediately need between trying to stay caught up with his own studies since he won’t physically be at his new high school for another couple weeks. Neither boy really talks about school much when together, only the occasional complaint from Mike about his homeroom teacher or how boring American history is so far.

When they make it to the diner, Mike is eager to be ever the kind gentleman and open the door for Will and let him choose where to sit. Will chuckles inwardly and seats them in the far corner away from windows and other people so they can have a miniscule sense of privacy even though they won’t do anything more than probably exchange a few glances. It’s too dangerous to even hold hands no matter how much Will (and Mike) wants to. Will isn’t too confident about how open-minded Berkeley Illinois will be—probably not as open-minded as Berkeley, California—but he hope when Mike visits that they might be able to be a little more public.

Mike orders a single vanilla shake and two burgers for them which makes the waitress giggle a little under her breath. Will wonders if it’s that obvious that they’re on a date versus just being two teens out for lunch. He can’t quite help the way he looks at Mike sometimes but he’s pretty sure he’s not making googly eyes at him at the moment. While they wait for their order, Mike places his hands on the table palm up and motions for Will to do the same.

Will’s eyes dart toward the counter where a troop of kids are seated chattering away. “There’s too many people here for that.”

“I came here after school yesterday and told the owner I wanted to bring my boyfriend here. Half the people are just stand ins to get everyone else’s attention away from us.” Mike shrugs and wiggles his fingers. “C’mon, hold my hands. It’s not like we’re gonna start making out in the booth.”

Will does as told and blushes furiously when Mike twines their fingers together. His heart is racing in his chest and he wonders if he’s getting enough oxygen to his brain. While Will usually lets the homophobic insults and slurs wash over him with little interaction, he won’t have to face the consequences of getting caught on a date with another boy given he’s leaving in a couple weeks. Mike on the other hand…

“Promise me you won’t get into any fights.”

Mike pulls himself from wherever his thoughts were taking him and gives Will a frown. “Fights? You know I don’t willingly get into fights. I can barely run a single lap around the football field for P.E.”

“I know, but I mean, fighting people who don’t like us.” Will shakes his hands deliberately and watches Mike _oh_ with understanding.

“I’ll try my best but you know how everyone is out here. Even before this,” he squeezes Will’s hands, “we were huge targets for bullying. Frogface, Zombie Boy, nerd, fairy, queer, you know the rest. That’s not gonna change as long as I’m here. And I’m not gonna stand by idly and let those things go unsaid without some sort of consequence.”

“I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

Mike smiles so lovingly even a blind person can tell how in love he is with Will. “I’m never hurt when it comes to protecting you.”

It’s an exaggeration; Mike gets hurt plenty protecting Will even before the Upside Down, let alone once the monsters came into their lives, but the sentiment is very much appreciated by Will. They spend the rest of the date eating each other’s fries and dipping them in the vanilla shake between bites of burger and snippets of conversation about _Ender's Game_ and playing Pac-man on Mike’s Atari console later in the week.

The arcade is as fun as usual and Mike once again attempts to beat Max’s high score and fails quite miserably. Will makes it up for him by winning a small prize and gifting it to him. They spend hours playing games and trying to beat each other’s scores until they don’t have anymore spare change to continue on. The ride back to their houses is spent in comfortable silence under the fresh night sky. Will can’t stop thinking about how happy he is concerning the date and spending time one-on-one with Mike as he did. Mike rides with him back to the Byers house and stands awkwardly on the porch outside the door with Will.

"I, uh, I had a good time.” Will says shyly with an equally shy smile. “I’m glad we were able to do this.”

“Me too,” replies Mike with an crooked grin. He rubs at the back of his neck and clears his throat nervously. “Um, I’d like to kiss you. If that’s okay with you. I know we haven’t done that yet and I don’t want to rush you into anything that might be uncomfortable for you but I—,”

Will leans up and clumsily presses his lips to Mike’s own parted ones. He can feel Mike tense under him and starts to pull away but instead gasps when Mike pulls his hands up to cup Will’s face and lean into the kiss himself. Will grips Mike’s shoulders and presses closer. His heart is beating rapidly in his chest and some part of his brain is having trouble processing the fact that he’s currently _kissing Mike Wheeler_. Mike’s lips are soft and warm, tasting faintly of vanilla from the milkshake they had earlier and something uniquely Mike. One of Mike’s hands moves from Will’s cheeks to curl around the nape of his neck as the other wraps around his waist to tug him even closer. Will gasps from the action and that tiny gasp gives Mike opening to deepen the kiss.

Will knows his face is probably fire hydrant red but he can’t find it in him to care. He brings his hands to the back of Mike’s head and twists his fingers in curly dark hair and returns the kiss as best as he can. He doesn’t know how long they stand under the dim porch light kissing like they might never have the chance again, but he knows it’s far too soon to end it when they are forced apart by Will’s mom opening the door.

“Oh,” she stutters with her own cheeks turning pink from embarrassment. Mike laughs and it’s hoarse, hoarse because he’s been ignoring his breath thanks to kissing Will, and Will feels a little dizzy from it all. “I, uh, didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“It’s okay; I should probably get back home anyway.” Mike grins and Will’s somewhat surprised but also soothed at how calm Mike is about everything. Mike and authority have never worked well together but he has always carried a different level of respect and care for Will’s mom, a respect that has probably changed into something unbreakable since Will’s disappearance.

Will nods, unable to make eye contact with his mom, and looks up into Mike’s flushed face. The taller boy smiles down at him and gives him a tiny peck on the nose when they press their foreheads together. Will’s heart swoons and he can barely believe how good he’s got it after the past two years. “I’ll see you later, yeah?”

“Of course,” is Will’s admittedly breathy lovesick response. He follows Mike toward the street and watches him bike away until he can’t see the familiar silhouette in the darkness of the night. When he comes back to the porch, his mom wriggles her eyebrows and nudges his shoulder to his embarrassment.

“Hopper was always telling me about how bothersome and annoying Mike was at the cabin but he’s just about the sweetest loving boy I’ve ever known.” His mom’s eyes get a little watery and she grabs Will’s hands with a caring smile. “I’m so happy that he loves you.”

Will feels like crying but he keeps his tears at bay as he looks down at his mom. “You’re not mad?”

Her brow crinkles. “Why would I be mad that Mike makes you happy?”

“No, just…mad that he’s with me so soon after El while also knowing I’m moving away.”

“Oh, Will,” she coos and leans a hand up to cup his cheek. “I’ve seen you and Mike grow up together since you two were five and played on the swingset every day at recess. I’ve seen him catch tadpoles for you to study outside of science class and save up his allowance to buy you a new set of markers to draw your fantasy characters.” Her tears start to spill over and Will’s finding it a little hard to keep his emotions in check himself. “He helped me with my Christmas lights set up when I tried to contact you, he stayed by your side as much as possible whenever you were in the hospital, he used everything in his disposal to bring you back both times. That boy has loved you for so long it was only a matter of time before he would realize it himself.”

“ _Mom_.”

And Will lets her pull him into a hug, even though he’s taller than her and her head presses against his chest. They cry together surrounded by moving boxes half-filled and half-empty with the wind howling a sweet goodbye to the moon up above.

**_7 days_ **

Lucas lets out a loud agonizing groan as everyone else around him falls into peals of laughter. Mike is struggling to keep a straight face as Dungeon Master, but he has to admit that it’s hilarious how Lucas can’t roll high enough to actually do some damage on the Wight the party is struggling to defeat. “Someone weighted my D20; that’s the only reason why I keep rolling so low,” the eldest snarks, rubbing his hands down his face with another loud groan.

Mike shrugs but takes note of Lucas’ failed attack. “Our infamous mage has seemingly lost his magic touch. Aim alludes him as the fireball skitters down the hall and strikes stone cold wall instead of the dangerous wight before him. The wight sneers and takes a swipe at Will the Wise, eager as always to taste the flesh of heroic cleric beings.”

Will sticks out his tongue at Mike, who returns the gesture before rolling his Dungeon Master dice to decide if the wight manages to attack Will as he professed it will. Mike slowly raises an eyebrow and casts glances at everyone in the room. Dustin leans forward in anticipation, Lucas unconsciously does the same, and Will tightens his grip on the edge of the table in hopes that he manages to block the attack. His HP is low from stupidly venturing down a dark alleyway earlier in the dungeon and he hasn’t had the time to heal given the stupidly insane number of monsters Mike decided this dungeon in the campaign would have. “The wight is overly eager in his attack and slashes out prematurely. The anticipation gives William the chance to dodge the strike and the wight in turn slashes metal armor. He cries out in pain, a loud howl that reverberates through the dungeon halls. Hopefully, the cry has not awoken creatures lurking in the darkness up ahead. The villagers cannot afford another infestation and neither can you, adventurers.”

Mike is so involved with this particular campaign, he’s even clutching at his chest as he mimics the wight’s own pains. Will has the stupid urge to kiss Mike for being so nerdy about the game but he also knows he finds the urge to kiss his boyfriend overwhelms him whenever Mike is being, well, the most Mike he can be. Which is yes, practically always, so it’s a bit of an issue, but nothing Will can’t handle.

Max makes a disgruntled noise from beside Lucas, who is still complaining about his D20 roll. El sits on her other side watching excitedly as she always does. El doesn’t know all the rules yet, so while she created a character with the help of Will and Dustin a couple weeks back, she hasn’t joined the party yet. Max joined for this particular campaign that started a few days back. She’s a little underpowered given the campaign was designed with Lucas, Dustin, and Will’s character levels in mind, but the party has been keeping her from the worst of the attacks. She also managed to get a good bow and arrow set from a chest early on in the quest. Will isn’t sure if Mike tweaked the quest items to make sure she would be better equipped but he does find it endearing if Mike did.

“Michael!” comes a call from upstairs. Mike rolls his eyes and places his DM binder down on the table with a huff.

“What is it, Mom?” he yells back.

“Dinner is ready! Come get your friends to join us, I made plenty to go around.”

Mike turns to the Party in silent question and they all nod. “We’ll be upstairs in a moment!”

El, Max, and Lucas gather their things about the basement and chat with Dustin about trying to figure out the best ways to defeat the wight when they get back in the game. Will walks over to Mike, greeting him with a peck on the cheek, and helps him reorganize his papers and the drawings Will drew of the monsters they’ll be fighting and their character profiles.

“I need to draw Max’s ranger.” he points out with a sigh, tracing the familiar curves of Mike’s paladin’s shield. “Do you think she’ll have fiery red hair just like Max? Maybe silver, I think silver fits best.”

“You could just ask her.”

“She said she wanted it to be a surprise.”

Mike rubs at his chin. “Hmm, then silver works. I’ll be sure to mention that the next time we play.”

“Hey, Byers, stop trying to get an edge in by flirting with the DM!”

Will flips Dustin off and kisses Mike just to make everyone playfully moan and groan about the PDA. Mike laughs but takes Will’s hand to pull him up as they make their way upstairs. The others are seated at the dining table already and Will takes a seat next to Dustin and across from Mike. Mike’s parents don’t know about him and Will yet and neither boy wants to even lend suspicion to it knowing how bigoted his parents can be at times. While they eat though, Mike keeps trying to ride his foot up Will’s pants leg and gets a consistent glare every time he manages to press his foot against Will’s bare leg. His face is surprisingly unemotive which is completely unfair and even Mrs. Wheeler asks Will if he’s okay given all his grimacing.

“I’m fine,” he replies warmly. _Your son is just being a terrible flirt under the table_.

After dinner, everyone but Will departs for the night. Nancy makes some excuse that Will doesn’t quite know the details on for the reason why he’s staying the night in Mike’s room. He thinks about thanking her somehow for being a helping a hand but his thoughts are quickly dashed away when Mike pulls him in by the waist and doesn’t waste a second longer getting his mouth onto Will’s. Will laughs into the kiss but lets himself be pushed back against the door as he loops his arms around the other boy’s neck.

“Eager, aren’t you?” he teases once Mike’s pulled far enough away for them both to catch their breaths.

“You’re leaving in a week, I think eager doesn’t even _begin_ to scratch the surface.”

“Desperate then.”

Mike kisses the corner of his lips. “Yes, desperate.”

“Needy.”

A kiss on the other corner. “A bit.”

“Passionate.”

A kiss on the nose. “Perhaps.”

“Fervent.”

That makes Mike pull away from the soft kisses he’s pressing all over Will’s cheeks. “Am I taking a vocabulary quiz or coddling my boyfriend because I can’t quite tell right now.”

Will laughs far too hard and he can’t tell if it’s giddy laughter from Mike’s joke or laughter that tries to hide how he feels the exact same way. He doesn’t want to think about how his room is almost completely packed and how his home is already looking so desolate and empty. It’s probably laughter for both but he doesn’t spend too much time analyzing it. Mike pulls him in for a hug and somehow they waddle their way to his bed where they flop down in a tangle of limbs.

“Are you excited to move?”

Now that’s a question that hasn’t been asked yet. Everyone pretty much is on the same page with how depressing it is that the Byers and El are leaving. Will shifts in Mike’s arms and tries to read the emotion in his eyes. “I’m not excited to move away.”

“How do you feel about it then?”

Will shrugs. “A little stressed. Mostly sad. Why do you ask?”

“I feel like everyone else has been very open about how we feel about you guys leaving. I just wanted you to be able to voice your opinion on it, too.”

Will wonders if it’s possible to fall in love with someone a million times over. This has to be the millionth time at least. “I’m not happy about it but I’ll admit there’s something refreshing about leaving Hawkins.” Mike nods. “Hawkins has so much _bad_ in it, not just the Upside Down with the portal and the Mind Flayer but the people, too. I guess if I were to say I’m excited about anything it’s getting away from all that.”

“You deserve better than what this town has to offer.”

A million and one times. “So do you.”

Mike hums and slinks his arms around Will’s waist. “I’m sleepy.”

“You need to shower, Wheeler.”

“But I’m _sleepy_. Being DM is a mentally draining task, Will.”

Will groans and squirms his way out of Mike’s arms. “You can sleep after you bathe. I’ll be here waiting.”

Mike slides out of bed and lazily strolls to his dresser. “Alright. Here, you can wear these.” He tosses a t-shirt and shorts onto the bed beside Will. “It’s a little too small for me but might be the right size for you.”

He’s right at least about the shorts. They fit perfectly but the t-shirt is a little big at the shoulder length and hangs heavy over his hands. Will merely spends the time waiting for Mike rereading a few comics the other boy had laying around on his desk. Mike reenters the room while drying his hair and stops after closing the door to watch Will read about a 1976 issue of _Guardians of the Galaxy_. Will’s on his back with his head hanging over the foot of the bed so Mike’s kinda upside down but Will can still see the awe written in his eyes.

“I hope next week never comes,” Mike chokes out from the door. His hands are shaking around the towel and Will flips himself over so he can look at him properly.

“C’mere,” motions Will. He can tell Mike is having a bit of a breakdown, probably from spending so much of the past two months ignoring the fact of the matter as best he can. Mike is like that, holing up until it all explodes in a violent volcano of emotions that burns anyone nearby. Will is usually lucky to come away unscathed but there are times where the heat burns him, too.

Mike pads his way over after turning off the light, which is further proof that he’s about to cry and doesn’t want anyone to see it. Will merely holds his arms out and takes Mike into his arms with a low hum. They don’t talk for the rest of the night but Will can hear Mike’s soft hiccups and feel the wet spot on his shoulder from where Mike buried his head. He only rubs his hand against Mike’s back until exhaustion soon takes him over and lulls him into the night.

**_1 day_ **

Mike has been avoiding Will all day. Will wishes he had the energy to be upset, but given the day has been spent taping boxes and getting the bigger items into the U-Haul, he can’t find it in him to try. Jonathan makes note of how Mike hasn’t stopped by or even radioed on the day and all Will can do is shrug it off. He’s pretty sure Mike is trying to avoid the situation by not being present but he’s also a little nervous that Mike is trying to back out of being with Will by ghosting.

It’s when Dustin and Max stop by that Will starts to get an inkling about why Mike hasn’t made his presence heard. Dustin lets it slip that Mike’s been holding himself up at home all day and Will makes a bitter side comment about how he wishes he could avoid moving by hiding too.

“Hiding?” Max replies with confusion. “I literally just came back from the Wheeler’s place; he’s trying not to burn down the kitchen with his sister.”

Dustin gapes. “Why were you there?”

“I was visiting Lucas so we stopped by to say hello.” The red head turns back to Will with crossed arms. “So, he didn’t tell you why he wouldn’t stop by today.” Dustin starts to fidget and both Max and Will turn to him. “Spill the beans, Henderson. I’m guessing he let you in on the loop.”

“My lips are sealed.”

Will shakes his head with a chuckle. “If it’s a surprise he wants to deliver, then I’ll accept it. It just better be a big one for missing out on the last day we have together.”

Dustin smirks. “Oh, it is. But also knowing how sappy you two are, he could come here right now with nothing to show for his efforts and you’d still call it a big surprise.”

Will isn’t sure if he blushes but he won’t be surprised if he did. “Shut up.”

As if having impeccable timing, Will’s radio goes off and Lucas’ slightly staticy voice simmers through. “Byers, you there? Over.”

“I’m here. What’s up? Over.”

“Just checking to see if you packed up your receiver. You might need it tonight. Over.”

Will gives Dustin a look but the younger boy avoids eye contact. “Why might I need it? I’m not expecting any calls. Over.”

“Expect some calls then. That’s all I can say. Over and out.”

Max turns on Dustin real quick. “You better tell me what Mike is planning on the ride back up, Henderson.”

Dustin sputters and tries to avoid answering any of the questions Max throws his way as they make their way back up the road. Will finds himself buzzing with anticipation, staring at the radio in hand as if it might suddenly crackle to life with Mike’s voice. It does around two hours later during dinner and the sound startles all the Byers and El.

“Hey, Will, do you copy? Over.”

Will practically lunges across the room to grab the device. “Yeah, I copy. Over.”

“That’s great.” Mike’s voice is deep and crunchy. Will is truly going to miss him so much. “Are you at dinner right now? Over.”

“Um, yeah. But it can wait if you have something to say. Over.”

Mike laughs. “Eat up, Will. This can wait, it’s no rush. I’m sorry for not stopping by today but I hope you can forgive me. Over.”

“You were forgiven the moment Max told me you were cooking with Nancy. Over.”

“Oh god, she told you about that? I’m never gonna live that down, am I? It’s alright I guess.” There’s shuffling on the other end of the call. “Just radio me when you’re done, okay? Over.”

“Yeah, can do. Over.”

“Love you, buttercup. Over.”

Will’s face is burning red; they’ve never said _I love you_ to each other near other people. He doesn’t know if Mike knows he’s not alone. “Yeah. I, uh, I love you, too. Over and out.”

When Will turns to face the others, his eyes quickly turn to El, who is trying to hide a large smile behind the rim of her glass Coke bottle. Will’s mom is looking dopely pleased by the love admission and Jonathan looks like he’s about to stand up and clap Will on his back for it all. That or tease him for the rest of his life about how Mike calls him buttercup.

“Buttercup?” Yeah, it’s gonna be the teasing.

“I think it’s cute.” his mom points out, reaching across the way to squeeze Will’s hand. 

“He also uses sugar plum, sweetheart, and baby.” El adds on like a true younger sister would do to annoy her older brother about his significant other.

Will buries his head in his hands. “Can we not talk about Mike’s pet names?”

All three of them shake their heads and Will spends the rest of the meal warding off questions and denying the names Mike uses to address him. He storms off to the back room with his radio in hand and Jonathan calling _see you later, lovebug_ after him. “Michael Wheeler, you better be lucky I like you. Over.”

It takes a minute or so before the channel comes to life. “What did I do? Over.”

“I was at dinner when you called! They heard that pet name you used. Over.”

“I’d say I’m sorry but I’m not. Not enough at least.” He laughs and shuffles in the background again. “Are you ready for your goodbye surprise? Over.”

“As ready as I’ll ever be. Over.”

Mike makes an enthusiastic sound with his mouth. “Awesome. Come over to Castle Byers. Over and out.”

Will stares down at the silent radio in hand. No one had really bothered with rebuilding Castle Byers this summer since his mom told everyone they’re moving and whoever moves into this house probably won’t want that in their backyard woods. He’s a little nervous to go back there knowing the emotional state he was in when he destroyed the fort. Maybe Mike wants to Will to leave it with better memories than he had before.

He leaves the house with a short goodbye to his folks and treks down a familiar path in the silence of the night. Part of him wants to run and spoil the surprise for himself already but he also wants to savior the walk. This will be the last time he walks through these woods, shifting between trees and branches that have been with him all his life. He wonders if the woods will miss him in an abstract sort of way. Maybe he’ll spend the night drawing the reddish orange leaves that crunch under his feet during his travels.

When Will reaches the location Mike wanted to meet him at, he’s stunned into silence seeing the rebuilt structure. Mike has a gas lamp inside, the torch flickering in the wind and warping his shadow against the fabric. Will decides that drawing Mike’s silhouette against the blue sheet will be tonight’s doodle. He disrupts the silent peace by walking around to the front and shoving the fabric door aside to spot Mike in the corner.

“Hey.”

Mike quickly looks up and the loveliest gaze Will could ever see melts onto his face. The flame flickers in his deep brown eyes and cast deep shadows across his face. Mike’s hair frames his face in gentle poofs and Will wonders if he took a shower just before coming here. “Hello, beautiful.”

Will scoffs and sits cross-legged beside his boyfriend. He leans his head against Mike’s broad shoulder and sighs. “I have to admit seeing Castle Byers up and running is quite the surprise.”

“Jonathan helped out a lot. He wanted to rename it since a Wheeler and a Byers built it and you’re not gonna be here much longer to use it but,” Mike takes Will’s hand and shifts his head to kiss the other boy’s forehead, “I told him to keep the name. Byers built _and_ rebuilt it.”

It takes Will a moment but he practically jumps from Mike’s arms at the bold statement. “Are you—are you calling _yourself_ a Byers?”

Mike hums. “You think I’d let you take my name if we could? Mike Byers has a way better sound to it than Will Wheeler.”

“ _Mike_.”

“ _Will_.” he mimics playfully before pulling Will back into his arms. “I know it’s kinda early to be talking marriage and I’m only half joking about it but I also want you to know that I’m, like, two thousand percent sure you’re it for me.”

“You’re it for me, too, Mike. You always have been.”

Mike smiles. “Remember when I said I wanted to be an author when I grow up? To write novels and books even cooler than D&D?”

“That was years ago. We were, like, 10 or 11.” He sinks further into Mike’s arms. “I remember that I said I wanted to be a comic book artist.”

“Yeah. We arranged our life jobs to be compatible without even _realizing_ it.” Mike pauses. “Or at least I didn’t. It doesn’t matter now though. I mean it _does_ matter but the incidental compatibility doesn’t matter.”

Will laughs to himself. He loves when Mike fumbles with his words and struggles to put his thoughts in coherent words. It’s far too endearing. “What are you trying to say, Mike?”

“I’m taking a creative writing class for my elective. I, uh, I want to get better at writing so I can give your drawings justice with words.” Mike plays with the sleeve of Will’s sweater. “That’s if you want to keep drawing comics or whatever. I just think that we shouldn’t give up on that, you know?”

Will nods. “You should send a short manuscript in the mail to me. I’ll draw it out and send it back if you’d like.” He sits up further and takes a hand to Mike’s hair to play with his curls. “In fact, tell me a story right now. I want something to doodle about on the car ride tomorrow.”

Mike scrunches his nose cutely and Will has to hold himself back from kissing his nose. “How about a story about a priest cleric and a duty-bound paladin? They live in a small village on the outskirts of the country and work together to complete small quests for fellow villagers when monsters start causing trouble. On one quest, the cleric gets captured by the evil monsters and the paladin teams up with a group of heroes to bring the cleric back. At the cleric’s return, the paladin figures out his feelings for the cleric. He realizes that though he’s duty-bound to an oath, the oath is to love and protect his lovely strong and amazing cleric. He just didn’t know it until his sense of purpose was stolen from him. Now, he cherishes every moment with his cleric.”

“This sounds familiar.”

Mike presses his lips to Will’s temple. “Having a real life basis for fiction makes things easier to write they say.”

“Yeah but I’m sure you didn’t drag me out here to say you wanna write a comic with me.” The brunette nudges Mike in the side lightly and wiggles his eyebrows. “Why do you really want me here?”

“Impatient aren’t you?” Mike pulls away and grabs a container out from under a series of blankets. “Well, here you are: my mom’s apple cranberry pie that you love so much.”

“It won’t be much of a guess to say you helped make it?”

Mike nods sheepishly. “I’m not that good in the kitchen; I accidentally burned the apple filling and Nancy had to help me remake it.” He opens the lid and reaches back to the blankets to grab some paper plates and two metal forks. “But anyway, I think it turned out pretty good.”

Will takes the slice offered to him and leans forward to kiss Mike when the boy opens his mouth to keep on talking. Mike leans into the kiss a little and hums happily before breaking away. He motions for Will to try to pie and Will can’t help but feel a little eager to try it himself seeing the anticipation in his boyfriend’s eyes. The filling is a little tart for Will’s tastes but the crust and lattice weave are amazingly crisp and flaky in the best way. He forks off a good chunk and points the utensil toward Mike’s mouth with a raised eyebrow. Mike gives him a look but opens up for the piece, snarling at Will as he chews anyway.

Will continues to feed Mike half his pie slice like this, curled up against each other under a blanket as the night simmers on. By the time he finishes the pie, his lips are sticky and Mike can’t stop kissing the lingering sweetness off his lips. Will doesn’t care; he really wouldn’t mind spending the next few hours in warm comforting arms kissing the night idly away. Mike’s lips move all across Will’s face, leaving sticky trails across his nose, cheeks, and chin. He takes Will’s hand and kisses sugar from his fingertips between the equally sweet nothings that pour from his mouth.

It’s so overwhelming how much Will loves Mike Wheeler that he feels like sobbing from the intensity of it all. Three months ago he was reeling from Mike’s angry words and left bleeding from a tear in their friendship and now he lies in Mike’s arms being showered with the affection he never thought would be reserved for him, affection he never thought he really _deserved_ either.

“I love you.” Will blurts when Mike presses another kiss to his palm.

Brown eyes look down into hazel green and Will’s tears spill over at the intense gaze directed right at him. He wonders how El was able to deal with the pure tenderness echoes in Mike’s eyes because he can barely handle it. Mike looks so unusually fragile like this, baring his heart out more than he usually does given he’s the heart-on-his-sleeve type of tenderhearted fool. He’s putting _everything_ on the line here being so unashamed of his love for Will. Will can only hope that Mike can see how into him Will is, how deeply in love he is that no one could ever have his heart the way Mike does. What they have isn’t simple childish crushes, this isn’t conflating platonic friendship for romantic love. It’s love fostered by struggles and fear, love built on the foundations of a friendship lasting every year since the young age of five. Love filled with pain and loss but equally full of adoration and safety.

It’s Mike and Will, Will and Mike, and dare he say it, it’s _inevitable_. Fate isn’t Will’s cup of tea but he might thank her for giving Mike the courage to ask Will to be his friend all those years ago. But then again, it was Mike’s bravery that led him to Will, Mike’s belief in him still being alive that helped bring Will back to his side, Mike’s courage that kept him at Will’s side during the Mind Flayer’s possession.

“It’s crazy isn’t it,” starts Mike as he wipes at Will’s tears, “how much we feel for each other. I think I really understand what it means to feel like your heart might burst from loving someone so much.”

Will lets loose a watery laugh. “I understand.” He sinks into Mike’s body a little more and closes his eyes as a cool wind breezes by. “I’m gonna miss you, Mike.”

“I’m gonna miss you too, sweet peach.”

**_0 days_ **

Will takes out the large stack of _Dungeons and Dragons_ manuals and guides left in his bottom dresser with a heavy huff. He’s been questioning if he should bring them with him to their new place but finds that the guides will most likely be nothing but deadweight. He can’t imagine himself using them again to play with another party. Dustin, Lucas, Mike, Max, and El will _always_ be his party.

“Whoa, babe, that’s the donation box,” points out Mike when Will places the materials in the box.

“I know.” Will smiles softly and steps around the box to stand beside Mike and wrap his arms around his neck. “I’ll just use use yours when I come back. If you still wanna play.”

Mike frowns but places his hands on Will’s waist. “Yeah, but what if you wanna join another party?”

Will shakes his head and leans up on his toes until his lips are barely an inch from Mike’s own. “Not possible.”

Mike closes the gap and only pulls away when Will’s mom comes into the hallway and admonishes them for spending their time kissing instead of moving boxes. Will leaves to finish moving the boxes in his room with a small peck but Mike follows him and they both manage to clear out Will’s room and most of the kitchen in a couple hours. Mike gets distracted by El trying to use her depleted powers to move a teddy bear and Will makes his way outside to help Jonathan with placing boxes in the cars.

El and Will’s mom do one final sweep of the place, which leaves Jonathan, Will, and the Party outside under the fall sun. Mike hugs him from behind and gently rests his chin on top of Will’s head to everyone’s amusement. They gently sway to the sound of nature about them and Lucas and Max try to bug Dustin into singing _Don’t You Forget About Me_ with them.

“We’ve got everything,” his mom announces with El at her side and a waver in her voice.

Those words seem to crack the calm atmosphere everyone was basking in and suddenly, the world seems to crack at edges that were only just recently mended. Mike’s arms tighten around Will and he makes a choked back sob noise as he buries his face in Will’s hair. The next few minutes pass in a blur of tears and goodbyes, Will struggling to keep his emotions in check as everyone says their piece. Mike holds him for so long, cradling his face in his hands and pressing their foreheads together as they breath each other’s air. Will knows his mom doesn’t want to separate them and he feels bad that she has to pull them apart, but Will doesn’t want to let this wonderful gorgeous amazing boy out of his arms.

“You better call me as soon as you get in,” Mike whispers hoarsely, and it’s a testimony to his strength that he hasn’t broken down in tears yet unlike the rest of them. His eyes are wet and his voice is a wreck but Will knows Mike’s collapse will come the moment he’s alone.

Will strokes his cheek and presses a kiss to a patch of freckles on his left cheek. “You better be waiting by the phone for my call then, mister.”

“I’m moving down to the basement just to make sure I never miss a call.”

That gets a laugh out of Will’s throat and he manages to leave Mike with a smile on his face. Mike watches him head toward the car Jonathan will be driving and when Will climbs in, he turns toward the window and makes sure his eyes stay locked with Mike’s for as long as possible. A few minutes into the drive on the freeway Will feels tears leak from his eyes and he sniffles lightly.

“We’ll be back.” Jonathan soothes with a care in his voice Will can’t recall hearing before. He remembers that his brother is leaving Nancy, too.

“Yeah,” is his only reply as the scenery blurs behind salty tears. “We’ll be back.”

**_+1 day_ **

“Will! Someone’s on the phone for you!”

Will turns from unpacking his final box and leaves his new bedroom with his heart thumping in his chest. He talked with Mike last night when he got to their new town, but the call didn’t last very long. Mike said he’d call back later but Will didn’t expect it this soon.

He takes the call up front and feels tension leave his shoulders at the sound of Mike’s eager voice. “Hey, Byers; hope I didn’t disrupt anything.”

“Nothing important,” Will smiles to himself. “You doing okay?”

“Yeah. Doing pretty good. Nancy and I spent last night in the basement being sad idiots together so three cheers for sibling bonding.”

Will can’t help himself when he snorts. “Sounds eventful. Any reason in particular you wanted to call?”

“Mmhmm. I wanted confirmation that you guys are coming back for Christmas.”

“As far as I know, yeah, we are.”

“Sweet. So, 75 days until we see each other again.”

_Only 75 days_. “We made through the first 75. I think we can do that again.”

Mike laughs on the other end of the line and Will’s heart soars. “Can’t wait to start the countdown again.”

**Author's Note:**

> check out my [stranger things tumblr](https://wheelyers.tumblr.com)!


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